Jim Jesse

The CrossFit formula is outstanding and CFE takes it to the next level. I have gained more strength, in a month, than any other workout I have ever done. The coaches, staff and members of CFE are what make the difference.

From day one, I felt like part of something bigger than just a WOD. CrossFit Edwardsville is exactly what I was looking for…a bold statement, but true.

Aaron Specht

I’m 45 years old, a happily married husband and father of three boys who are the loves of my life!! I own a couple businesses and I’m also a recovering alcoholic and have been sober for over 6 years.

My sports background starts from JV & Varsity football, basketball and track. I played tennis and golf in college then Rugby.

Rugby was my life!! I was a founding father to the Rugby Football Doggs @ Winona State University in Minnesota. Then went on to play rugby for the better part of 17 years with stops @ Lincoln Park (Chicago) Rugby Football Club, Atlanta Renegades, Oconomowoc (Milwaukee) Griffins, and the Denver Harlequins. Additionally I played on select side All Star teams (all-state) for Georgia and Wisconsin.

Scott Telford

The first experience and every one since then has been incredible and the hardest challenge I have faced was simply showing up that first day. If you show up, the rest is in the bag. Within the first month I was hitting my goals and setting Personal Records with the greatest of ease. I was a stronger body type concentrating on power lifting movements and gaining size.

Since I have started with CrossFit Edwardsville I been eating healthier and I'm more defined. The results speak for themselves and are unmatched anywhere. You cannot beat the quality of the coaching staff and the community that CrossFit Edwardsville has nor can you ever create what you will get out of this experience in any local gym or YMCA.

I am hooked for life and I am thankful for finding such a fantastic group!

Don Yakstis

I discovered CrossFit while looking for a way to up my training for obstacle course runs. It seemed to have the right mix of strength, cardio, and bodyweight training, so I gave it a shot. I found out just how out of shape I was during Foundations. Coach JJ was constantly reminding me that this was only the base that I would build upon. The constant encouragement I have received, from coaches and athletes alike, is the thing that means the most to me. I know that everyone in the room has my back, and I have theirs. There is never a bad day at the gym.

I walked through the doors that first time as an out of shape, 210 pound, 35 year old. In less than one year I have attained my CrossFit Level 1 Trainer certificate, taken advantage of our gym Nutrition Challenge as both a participant and an assistant in the current groups, gained a more complete understanding of my nutrition and fitness, and even assist coaches during classes. The physically fit, 175 pound, 36 year old that walks through those doors now is a completely different person from the one that first walked in, and I have never been happier.

Karla McDole

In my youth, sports were always a big part of my life. As I got older, I remained dedicated to staying in shape mainly by running and doing “bootcamp” type workouts. Even though I remained fit, in the back of my mind I always thought, “I will never be in the shape I was in when I was a high school or college athlete.” Then I was introduced to CrossFit Edwardsville. I had skepticism at first. I had never really been into weight-lifting at all, and I wasn’t familiar with the different movements that are done. I started slowly and then over the first several weeks everything began to fall into place. Now I’m very much in the best shape of my life and I’ve improved my strength and conditioning tremendously. I have the energy to keep up with my active life of being a working mom, and I am able to do things in the gym I would have never imagined. There is so much variety as to what can be done in the gym that there is never a boring workout. Sharing this experience with a community of people who work hard every single workout has given me motivation and a more positive frame of mind which has carried over into other aspects of my life. The coaches at CFE are truly committed to continually educating the athletes, programming challenging workouts, helping each athlete meet their goals, and are there to give everyone the extra push they need…..when they need it. I really can’t imagine doing any other types of workouts and I’m excited to see what new goals I can accomplish!

Josh Wedel

The Journey started on October 31st 2009. I was close to 285 lbs and about 6 months before I was right at 300 lbs. I was an avid smoker about a pack to a pack and half a day. My mom was going to go back to weight watchers and asked my wife if she wanted to go. She said yes I want to get back on track. The next day we took all of our kids candy, let them keep what they wanted, and took the rest into our jobs to get rid of it. We also went through all of our cabinets and refrigerator to eliminate anything that we knew we couldn’t have. The first two weeks were very hard and took a lot of will power to get through especially when it came to portion control and the types of foods we were eating. I had a bow flex in my garage and started working out on this and running. I remember the first run that I did I barely made it 200 meters and was completely out of breath but over the course of about 4 months I got better and eventually made it to a full mile. About this time I had lost 40 lbs and was feeling very good.

“I've always been one who drops weight just to gain it back again (who hasn't). But in February, 2016, when I was the heaviest I have ever been, I knew if I wanted to continue a good life I needed to make a change… With excellent guidance from Coach G, I started my 2nd whole 30 on May 1, 2017 (in my eyes my final way of eating) and I am still going strong to this day. Finally, with all my hard work, dedication, and great coaches I am seeing the results I want. I am currently down 80lbs and 60inches from February, 2016 and from March, 2017 to date my body % fat went from 31.4 to 22.8 (that's 8.6%). I am so thankful for all the help CFE has given me. I would not be where I am today without their help.”-Faith Tarr

“I definitely feel a difference after eating. I haven’t felt stuffed or sluggish like you would get from a fast food meal. Also, NO food regret after meals. Last Friday I wore a T-shirt that used to feel tight and now it feels great! Also trying new foods has been awesome… it’s been a good journey so far.”-Stephanie Geiser

“Started this program with Coach G thinking there is NO way I could give up sugar, grain and dairy… my favorite 3 staples that I’ve come to realize are only ‘stapling’ my fat on my body. I had come to a decision to do something different to get different results. I had to go through Foundations twice in order for me to just get up without being out of breath, go up a flight of stairs without having to stop 2 min to regain my breath. Being able to get up off the floor that didn’t take multiple attempts are just a few basic things that motivated me to start the change.

I took the challenge to kickstart me into a better way of looking at food, not simply as a reward, but as fuel. Struggle, of course; I started this process right before my birthday. Having your family buy a beautiful birthday cake… then I call Coach G… uh what do you suggest? Needless to say, I took a pass and watched my cake eaten by others. LOL. That’s when I knew I was serious about what I was doing.

What helped was the recipes… do the crockpot stuff, make a meal or meals… it is not that difficult. Having this already preplanned made a huge difference in the success of this. From my BIA to after 30 days, I lost 16 pounds of ALL fat and gained 2 pounds of lean muscle. The results don’t lie.”

-Client who requested to remain anonymous

Lost 6lbs and at least 1 belt loopImproved hair texture (shiny, less frizz)Clearer view of foods to eat and foods to limit or removePossibly revealed sensitivity to dairy-Julia Heckler, in one 30-day program we coached

-15lb wt loss-didn't measure, so not sure about %-look better naked-PRed my beard-Jimmy Jesse, in one 30-day program we coached

Lost 11 lbs.Dropped 1 point on bmiLost 2" from waistLost 1" from hipsI feel better. Have almost no cravings. Don't miss in between meal snacks. Workouts are stronger. When I run I don't run out of power during the longer distances.-Stacy Jesse, in one 30-day program we coached

Lost 13 lbs and 3% body fatMore energyLess cravingsSlept betterNo longer felt groggy during the day and didn't feel the need for coffee-Ashley Noeth, in one 30-day program we coached

-lost 16 pounds doing whole 30 ( haven't had a chance to measure body fat % yet)- have more energy during wods- have more energy in general - hair and skin is softer- most of the time wide awake for 5am wods-nails have gotten stronger-meal planning has gotten easier-clothes fitting noticeably better-y husband just said I have had reduced night sweats we can't remember last time I had them but usually get them quite often-Nikki Bollman, in one 30-day program we coached

-Lost 2% body fat and 4lbs-increased energy-Able to concentrate better even after lunch-Sleeping much better-Limited sugar cravings!!-food tastes great-last 2 weeks no IT band issues-Jenny Griffith, in one 30-day program we coached

+Lost 3% body fat on Whole30 (16.6% body fat since October, Thanks to Dr. Rob Wise and Dr. Kristen Jacobs for kickstarting my weight loss)...getting closer to my pre-baby body+Fewer cravings+Feel more confident+More consistent energy+Less bloating+My wrist bone hasn't popped out of socket in a month+More focused+Better memory+More productive+I can go for a while between meals and I feel okay+I've always been a goal maker but have never needed to lose weight. I learned how to make healthy weight loss goals without relying on yo-yo dieting and quick weight loss fixes.-Caroline Skelly, in one 30-day program we coached, and working with Drs. Wise & Jacobs

* Lost ~14 lbs* Blood pressure went from 154/85 to 133/83 (still room for improvement but great progress)* Daily acid reflux (requiring daily otc medication) is completely gone!!!* Most cravings are non-existent and the occasional craving is just a momentary thought that quickly dissipates. Yay!* I am joyful...chronically happy * More energetic* Someone told me that I'm less irritable, more agreeable, and my butt is cuter :-)* My WOD times improved with increased cardiovascular conditioning* Increased skill in bodyweight movements likely due to weight loss* Less generalized anxiety with zero panic attacks* Fewer headaches* Less joint pain, with my back pain at 50% of what it was* Zero excess fluid retention (history of kidney issues causing pitting edema in my legs)* My annoying chronic cough is gone* Mild digestive issues have normalized* Foods taste better-Janell Roedl, in one 30-day program we coached

- lost 2 pants sizes- increased self control when it comes to food- decreased cravings- increased energy - increased focus and clarity of mind-Erin Browdy, in one 30-day program we coached

- down 15 lbs- skin is a lot clearer- hair is smoother and less shedding- more consistent energy- decreased cravings (still working on this)-Megan Downs, in one 30-day program we coached

*Waist size is down and pants/clothes are loose (new wardrobe coming).

*Body is toned

*Enjoy grocery shopping

*Trying new foods

*Meal planning has become not only routine but also enjoyable

*Improved sleep, fall asleep faster, and wake up with energy

*Not eating out much-Gordon Bell, in one 30-day program we coached

Lost around 8 pounds. Heartburn reduced. Less bad days at the gym. Sleep came easier-John Bryan, in one 30-day program we coached

Lost 5 lbsLost a lot of cravingsLost addiction to diet sodaDon't feel hungry all the time anymore-Josh Dickerson, in one 30-day program we coached

•Lost 7 lbs•Majority of cravings eliminated (particularly bread)•Remaining cravings (sugar) under control•More energy during WODs•Lifted more weight during WODs•Consistent energy throughout the day•I get full quicker and stay full longer •No night sweats (I didn't even realize this was a problem until it went away!)•No more naps on the weekend (unless I just want to 😊)-Katie Dauksch, in one 30-day program we coached

•focus and mental toughness•weight loss and reduction in body fat•meal prepping•knowledge of nutrition-Stuart Schiber, in one 30-day program we coached